House and Senate leaders announced an agreement on Sunday to limit federal spending to $1.66 trillion this fiscal year, a step toward averting a partial government shutdown in 11 days. Stop-gap funding expires on Jan. 20 for the Agriculture, Transportation, Energy, Veterans, and Housing and Urban Development departments.
“While these final spending levels will not satisfy everyone, and they do not cut as much spending as many of us would like,” said Speaker Mike Johnson said in a letter to House Republicans, it creates an opening to “fight for the important policy riders included in our House FY24 bills.”
On the contrary, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Democratic Leader Hakim Jeffries said, “[W]e have made it clear to House Speaker Mike Johnson that Democrats will not support included poison pills policy changes in any of the twelve appropriations bills put before Congress.”
The House Freedom Caucus said on social media the agreement on top-line spending was “even worse than we thought” and a “total failure” because outlays would be higher than the conservative group wanted.
Congress has not passed any of its usual appropriations bills for fiscal 2024. Lawmakers would have to work quickly to pass the spending bills before money runs out on Jan. 19 for part of the government and on Feb. 2 for the rest of it. Unnamed sources “familiar with the situation” said another short-term spending bill, running through March 1, might be needed, reported Roll Call newspaper.